


Dog Day Afternoon

by Nehasy



Category: Tenkuu no Escaflowne | The Vision of Escaflowne
Genre: Child Soldiers, Explicit Language, Teamwork, Violence, violence against animals
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-22
Updated: 2017-01-22
Packaged: 2018-09-19 06:16:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9422162
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nehasy/pseuds/Nehasy
Summary: It's their first day of training and the Dragonslayers learn that they might have gotten more than they bargained for with their new positions.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own Vision of Escaflowne or any of the characters. Don't sue me.  
> Escaflowne week 2017 day 6!! In motion. It took forever to hit on this idea, I went through so many alternates and finally came up with this while bitching about not being able to come up with ideas. It made me giggle and totally sounded like a training exercise Dilandau might actually come up with.  
> This is pre-series, the Dragonslayers have just become part of the unit. I also don't condone the abuse of animals at all. In fact I wrote this fic while having two overly affectionate cats crawling over me.  
> Dragon in the Ashes universe

                “Soooo, are we having lunch?”  Shesta looked down at the strips of jerky he’d been handed, unsure as to what the proper protocol was.  Next to him, Guimel was hesitantly sniffing the strips of dried meat curiously while Miguel glanced over at Gatti, the two of them sharing befuddled shrugs.

                “The captain said that this was going to be cardio training.”  Ryuun murmured, glancing around and elbowing Dallet sharply in the ribs when he noticed the brunette nibbling on the jerky.

                “What? I’m hungry!”

                “There’s likely a reason we have it.”  The taller boy muttered, flashing Viole a similar glare as he caught the long haired dragonslayer in the act of taking a bite as well.  “Try to control yourselves and trust in our captain.  I’m sure he’ll explain everything.”

                Said captain was currently walking back towards them, a smug smile on his unnaturally pale face.  Those strange almost alien crimson eyes of his practically glowed with excitement.  It set the newly formed Dragonslayer team on edge, no one was ever that excited about training.  Something was up, but none of them knew their new captain well enough to gauge what his plans might be.

                “Gentlemen,” The captain all but purred.  “Good morning.  I trust you all got a good night’s sleep because it’s time to get in shape.”  None of the new soldiers dared frown at the idea that the barely four hours of sleep they’d gotten could be counted as a decent sleep.  They’d spent hours going over rules and expectations for the team as well as memorizing a map for the Vione, the massive floating fortress they were now stationed on.  Granted, even if they’d been given a full night’s sleep, they were all far too excited to have taken advantage of it.  Still, that didn’t stop Guimel from yawning widely.

                “As Dragonslayers, I expect you to be in peak physical and mental shape.  We are an elite unit within Copper Army and I intend to ensure that we are the most decorated unit in the Four Demon Army by years end.”  Those smoldering crimson eyes studied each youth in turn, seeming to peel away their skin and stare into their very souls.  None of them were able to meet his stare as one by one they all looked down at the ground, cowed by the powerful personality of this strange pale teenager.

 “You all show great promise, but promise alone means nothing if you don’t mold it into reality.  Every morning rain or shine, I expect you all to be up and running at 0500 hours, no exceptions.  If you break your damn legs, I expect you to crawl.”  There was no doubt in any of their minds that their captain wasn’t exaggerating and it made several of them shiver slightly, wondering just what exactly they’d gotten themselves into.

                “When you can’t crawl any further, I expect your teammates to carry your lazy carcass until your exercises are finished.  There will be no complaining, no dawdling and I expect you all to give me everything you’ve got.  Showing me anything less than your absolute best will be met with brutal repercussions.  Am I making myself perfectly clear?”  His voice was sharp and demanding, his stance aggressive and those eyes of his were as sharp as swords as he paced in front of his six men, the first of his glorious unit.

                “Yes Sir!”  They all yelled out confidently in unison, staring straight ahead just as they’d done countless times at the Academy. 

                “Do you have any questions?”

                “No Sir!”  Was the loud reply from all but one.

                “Actually… Captain, I have a question.”  Shesta continued to stare forward as the albino’s head swivelled sharply in his direction and burning eyes narrowed.  He could actually feel the air shift as the captain approached him, radiating barely restrained violence.

                “What part of my perfectly clear explanation did you not understand Private?”  There was a definite growl to the captain’s voice and Shesta swallowed audibly, half expecting to feel the sharp edge of steel slide between his ribs for his insolence.  Gamely continuing on despite the clear risk, the blond slayer took a deep breath and held up the hand still clutching the jerky strips.

                “I’m not sure why we have meat sir.”

                “Good question Private.”  The captain replied, his smirk practically audible as Shesta allowed himself to breathe once again.  “It’s for the dogs.”

                “Ah, understood-what?”  Looking up, he met the captain’s eyes, his own growing wider as he mentally repeated what had just been said.  Dogs!?

                “I’m a firm believer in proper motivation.”  Captain Albatou continued, walking down the length of their line, looking positively delighted at their new levels of tension.  “To ensure that you do in fact give me your best, I’m about to release six rather hungry and large dogs.  You will be expected to run towards the drop ship which is waiting for you ten miles due south of us.  In that ship you will find your weapons, water and medical supplies.  If you get there before the dogs you survive.  If you don’t…well then all of that promise you showed won’t add up to much.”

                As they all stared at him mute with shock, the captain grinned again, his eyes flashing dangerously as he raised a silvery white eyebrow in curiosity.

                “Is there a reason you’re all still standing here?  You have ten minutes before I release the dogs.  I would suggest you make the most of it.  Oh, and don’t try throwing away the jerky, if you have even one less strip than you started with, you’re walking back to the Vione.”

                He was insane, that had to be it.  No normal person would sick hungry dogs on their own troops like that!!  Unfortunately, that smile just grew wider and wider as the slayers all glanced at each other, hoping that this was a bluff.

                Ryuun was the first to swear softly under his breath and start running.  Gatti and Guimel were quick to follow.  Realizing that this was really honestly happening, Shesta followed hot on their heels and heard both Dallet and Viole coming up right behind him.

                “Is he crazy!?”  Dallet gasped out as he sprinted, his longer legs helping him catch up to Shesta, leaving poor Viole in the last position.  While the young blonde wanted to agree with Dallet that yes, Captain Albatou might very well be dangerously insane, he couldn’t risk the breath to answer.  He needed it for running.  Ten miles… yes, he could run that without too much difficulty, but not with dogs after him!  They wouldn’t be able to pace themselves at all and even if by some miracle they did make it, then they had to fight for their lives? How was this supposed to help the Zaibach Empire rebuild the world?

                No dammit, he couldn’t start thinking like that!  They had to run or die, it was a very simple exercise when you got down to it.  In battle the enemy would show them no mercy, the fight wouldn’t stop just because they were winded.  They had to give it their all with every breath or they’d die.  This was the real world they were in, not the sheltered halls of the Academy with their padded mats, safety nets and blunted steel. 

                They were young, in good shape and had been provided with sufficient motivation, if they couldn’t manage this, then how could they be expected to keep going when the odds were against them? 

                His legs were already burning and his lungs ached as he pulled in great gulps of air, trying to keep his breathing steady to ensure that maximum oxygen reached his straining muscles.  In the distance, he heard the distant howl of dogs.

                “The bastard!”  Guimel gasped out loudly.  “He wasn’t kidding!  He’s gonna kill us!”  Being the smallest member of the group, he had the hardest time keeping up and sweat was already pouring off of him in steady streams but the curly haired blonde pushed himself forward relentlessly.  “When… when we get to the ship, I’m gonna beat the crap out of that freak!  Who the hell gave a psycho a command!?”

                “If… if you’ve got… the energy to… bitch, you’ve got it… to run!”  Shesta panted out in warning, drawing abreast of the other boy. 

                Gritting his teeth, Guimel pushed himself forward, not wanting to fall behind where they could already hear Viole panting loudly, straining to catch up to the rest of the group.  Up ahead, Gatti and Miguel were fighting for the lead with Ryuun and Dallet close behind them.  They could see the dark speck in the distance that was the drop ship, but it didn’t seem to be getting any closer despite their best efforts.  Worse, another chorus of howls split the air.  Yeah, those dogs sounded hungry.

                Muscles strained, lungs heaved like bellows and little by little, the ground was eaten up beneath their feet but all of them knew that they weren’t going to be fast enough.  Even if they’d been on a nice smooth track like at the Academy they couldn’t have made the run in the time expected.  Here, out in the wastelands of southern Zaibach, they had to tear through bits of scrub brush and pick their way across stone beds and dried out creeks.

                By the time they figured they’d made it halfway to the ship, all of them were bleeding from various scratches and were covered in a fine layer of dirt and mud interspersed with sweat tracks.  Still, none of them dared slow down or stop despite their rapidly growing exhaustion.  The dogs were growing closer, their barks and howls sounded vicious and full of eager expectation.  While it was tempting to risk the long walk back to the ship by throwing away the cursed jerky, Shesta was pretty sure that by now, the animals were tracking the smell of their blood and fear.  They were nothing but prey now and why go for hunks of dried meat when they could have a nice fresh feast?

                There was a sharp cry from behind them and both Shesta and Guimel glanced over their shoulders to see Viole trip on a loose rock.  The long haired brunette fell hard despite throwing his hands out to catch himself and the boy rolled for several feet before coming to a stop.

                Sharing a quick glance with his friend, both of them spun around and raced back to their fallen comrade.  They knew the risks of stopping to help.  Yes, it would be safer to leave him behind and let his failure to keep his balance slow down their pursuers, but in the end, they were a team dammit, and they weren’t going to leave a man behind no matter the risk.

                “Viole’s down!”  Shesta called out to the others even as he helped the now bruised and battered boy get up to his feet.  Viole’s hands were a bloody mess and he had a cut on his forehead from grazing a rock, but he was still conscious despite gritting his teeth from the pain. Amazingly enough, the boy still quickly snatched up his jerky strips from the ground, counting them quickly.   “Can you walk?”  He asked urgently, glancing behind them, his blue eyes scanning for any hint of the approaching beasts.

                “Are you crazy?  I’ll bloody well run on broken legs if that’s what it calls for.”  Viole ground out, biting back a sigh of relief as he saw that he’d recovered all the strips of meat, earning an exhausted but impressed grin from Guimel.

                “That a boy.  Who knew you had balls under all that hair.”  The curly haired slayer grinned as the two blonds each took an arm to help support the other boy as they resumed their now much slower trek towards the ship.

                “I assure you, my balls are right where they should be.”  Viole grunted, limping slightly despite the help even though he refused to give voice to the pain he was enduring.

                Rocks clattered against each other loudly as the rest of the boys arrived, looking nervous and breathing hard.  Without a word, they surrounded their injured brother, protecting the three of them from attack as they continued forward.  Ryuun darted forward and grabbed up rocks which could fit comfortably in their hands and began passing them around.

                “Take these, keep Viole in the middle.  They’ll probably try to separate him from us so they can pull him down.”  He murmured, glancing nervously behind them as the surrounding circle drew together a little tighter.

                “These are dogs, not wolves!”  Guimel spat out, earning odd looks from the rest of the group.  No one bothered to explain things to the slight youth, they were all too busy jogging forward and listening intently for an attack.  All the while, the howls grew louder and louder.

                Shesta knew the instant they found where Viole had fallen because the howls seemed to develop a new sense of urgency.  Everyone glanced at each other, their hands tightening on their rocks as they edged closer together, still moving forward as quickly as Viole could move.

                “I’m sorry guys.  I didn’t mean to get us eaten on our first day.”  The long haired brunette groaned in defeat, looking about ready to burst into tears of utter frustration.

                “We’re not going to die.”  Gatti stated in a tone which left no room for argument.  “We’re going to make it to that damn ship and we’re all going to do it together.  If we have to kill a few curs to do it, then we will because we’re not leaving you behind.”

                “Yeah, we’ll survive this so that Captain Albatou can find some other creative way to kill us.”  Guimel snarled loudly, glaring at his rock and likely envisioning smashing it against the head of a certain albino.  All Shesta could do was chuckle weakly in between breaths at the look on his friends face.  He was pretty sure it would take more than a rock and some anger management issues to take down their leader.  There was something in those strange red eyes that spoke of a life without compromises and without the allowance of even the slightest weakness.  Rather than drive him away, it made him want to see approval shine in their crimson depths.  He wanted to impress the strange youth and prove to him that he was just as capable.

                “You see the reason behind this right?”  Miguel spoke up, his pale grey eyes watching the brush covered hills off on their left, expecting an ambush at any moment.

                “Cause our new boss is a psychotic sadist?”  Guimel spat out angrily, earning a faint yet pained chuckle from Viole.  Miguel just shot him a dark glare, silencing the smaller youth.

                “No you moron.  We’re a new elite unit with no actual combat experience, but here we are with fancy armour, the best quarters on the ship and let’s not forget top of the line Alseides. They’re already talking about us at the Capitol like we’re some poster children for the new Empire.  Most soldiers would kill for our positions and I think our captain knows it.”  Shesta frowned slightly as he realized what exactly the other boy was saying.  Here he’d been thinking of outside threats they’d be facing, while Miguel was right, they could easily fall prey to their own allies if they ever dared to let their guard down.  The Zaibach military was ruthless in more than one regard. 

                “He’s making sure that we reach every one of the high expectations set for us.  We can’t afford to fail at anything.  Too many people are watching.  We’re supposed to be the best of the best, but we can’t prove that unless we live eat and breathe that perfection.  Any slip up will make us into dog meat… rather literally.”

                Miguel’s words weren’t an exaggeration, they’d all seen the looks they’d gotten from the infantry soldiers when they’d set foot on the Vione.  Hells, even the other pilots had glared at them resentfully, no doubt wishing they were in their positions.  A few warning glares from their captain had put the worst offenders their place quickly enough, but the Dragonslayers knew that they would have to be ready for anything if they wanted to survive long enough to live up to their hype.

                “Incoming!”  Dallet called out.  “Forty degrees, I’ve got a dog.”  Five other pairs of eyes shifted over to note the dark skulking shape moving low to the ground as it loped alongside them. 

                “Dammit, I’ve got one too, One hundred and thirty degrees.  They’re flanking us.”  Ryuum growled, readying his rock just in case the animals moved in.

                “Flanking us?  They can do that?”  Guimel looked shocked as only a kid born and raised in the city could.  “I mean seriously?  When did animals learn tactics?  I am NOT fighting mutant dogs dammit!”

                “Shut up and get ready for the rest of the pack.”  Gatti snapped as he looked around for the others.  There would of course be more than just two.  Captain Albatou was the sort of guy who would want to make it a challenge for them, that meant one dog for each of them.  “Can you go any faster Viole?”

                “Just watch me.”  The brunette stated, forcing his battered body to pick up speed despite the sharp pain in his sprained ankle.  With every step he promised himself a nice cold compress when they got to the shuttle, he just had to hurt for a little while longer.

                “You can do it.’  Shesta murmured in encouragement, then looked around as he heard a low and menacing growl erupt behind them.  A large dark brown dog appeared at the top of the hill they’d just passed, a slightly smaller russet furred beast stood next to it.  Both had their fangs bared in a rather threatening display and Shesta could feel the hunger radiating off of them.

                He’d grown up in a small village in the eastern edge of the country and had spent a lot of time around dogs.  He knew at a glance that these ones would have no problem attacking humans and his every instinct urged him to move faster.  The rather solid rock in his hand didn’t feel nearly impressive enough when compared to those fangs and jaws that could snap shut like steel traps.

                “Worst field trip ever… just saying.”  Viole ground out, managing a weak smile just as two more dogs approached from behind, surging out of the brush to snap at Dallet’s legs.  The tall slayer swore loudly and kicked at the closest cur, his armoured boot connecting soundly with its head, knocking the animals head to the side and causing it to stumble.  The other dog drew back slightly, suddenly wary of their prey.

                Gamely, the Dragonslayers continued forward, staying close together and watching all possible directions, ready for the next attack.  Miguel and Gatti snatched up a few more rocks, these ones small enough to hurl at the dogs should they draw too close.

                For another mile, the animals seemed to be content just to force them to run, moving in to snap at them whenever they seemed to slow down or stumble.  Well placed stones sent them scurrying away quickly enough, but they always came back. 

                The next mile saw the two flanking canines drawing in closer, their bright pink tongues lolling out between sharp teeth.  The dark furred and russet dog seemed to have vanished again, but they knew that the two beasts were still there, likely pulling ahead, getting ready to force them to turn aside into an area which would favour four feet over two.

                “I see the ship!”  Ryuun called out eagerly, his pace quickening despite his exhaustion.  One of the dogs lunged at him, forcing the teenager to slam his rock hard against the beast’s muzzle.  Yelping loudly, the animal leaped back, shaking its head as a thin trail of red blood leaked from its snout. 

                As if sensing their anticipation, the dogs began to close in, growing bolder in their attacks.  Dallet was nipped sharply on the thigh and Gatti was bleeding from a bite on his arm, though at least he’d been the first to land a solid blow against his attacker.  The dog in question was wobbling badly as it ran, one eye sealed shut as blood and a yellowish fluid leaked out of the beasts ear.

                “We’ve all seen the ship.”  Dallet snarled loudly at the other boy.  “Tell us how far!”

                “Five minutes at this pace.”  Ryuun replied as they all pushed themselves for a little bit more speed.  No one wanted to give up when their goal was so close.  Even Viole grit his teeth and forced his injured foot to bear a little more of his weight, thankful that adrenaline was blocking the worst of his pain.

                They were going to make it!  This nightmare run was almost over!

                Two minutes from their goal, the two missing dogs appeared.  There was a clear path ahead of them, they could all see the drop ship shining like a beacon, drawing them inevitably towards it and its promised safety.  They only dropped their guard for a moment, but that moment was all it took for the trap to be sprung. 

                A swift russet furred blur darted out from beneath some bushes, snapping at Gatti’s legs.  He stumbled as he tried to avoid those deadly fangs and that’s when the huge brown beast hit him, sending them both sprawling to the ground.

                The Dragonslayer rolled with the impact, using his momentum to throw the dog off of him even as he swung his rock in a deadly arch.  Stone hit flesh and there was a sharp yelp of pain, but the rock had only bit into the beasts shoulder, the bulk of the impact absorbed by thick fur. 

                Sharp teeth snapped at the downed youth, aiming for his face this time.  Gatti threw up a hand to block the bite but Miguel beat him to it, slamming his rock down on the animals head hard enough to send the beast sprawling on the ground.  A swift kick to the ribs with an armoured boot ensured that the animal wouldn’t be chasing them anytime soon.  Unfortunately, that left the rest of the pack to move in, and they did so as a single lethal unit.

                Teeth flashed as one dog bit at Dallet’s leg, catching his boot rather than flesh.  There was a horrible shriek as those sharp ivory knives scraped across armour, but it released the limb before Dallet could brain it with a rock.

                Furious, Ryuun kicked at the one Dallet had badly injured earlier, catching it across the snout and breaking several teeth before the creature stumbled back.  The kick left him open to a second dog which had slipped behind him, snapping at his legs, trying to find a place which wasn’t protected by armour.

                “Regroup!”  Gatti called out sharply.  “Don’t let them separate us!”

                “Easy for you to say!”  Ryuun snapped back, slamming his rock into the first dog again as it moved in the instant he’d gone after his new assailant.  “These things are everywhere!”

                “They’re just dogs dammit!”  Miguel yelled.  “We’re smarter than they are!”

                “Great!  You lecture them on Sungs thirty eight laws of battle and impress them with your superior knowledge!”  Guimel snapped, swinging his own rock at a dog which had taken advantage of the hole in their defense to try to take a bite out of Viole.

                “I mean, we need to keep moving forward!  There’s weapons at the drop ship, not to mention the ship itself will provide some cover so they can’t get behind us!”  Miguel shot back.  “We can’t fight them like this!”

                Shesta found himself agreeing with the other youth and he practically pulled Viole along, forcing the rest of the group to get moving again.  Their resumed momentum had the added bonus of forcing the dogs to reposition themselves, it wasn’t as easy to circle a moving target.  At least they were giving the Dragonslayers some space again; deciding that their prey was still too feisty to take down easily.  The one badly injured dog seemed to have fallen back, unable to keep up with the rest of the pack, but that damn big brown beast was still there, racing alongside them, snapping at their legs whenever it got the chance.

                As they crested the last hill, they saw the drop ship waiting for them, their swords lined up neatly on a camp table in front of it.  Standing next to said table was none other than their captain!  The pale youth leaned against the hull of the leviship, looking utterly comfortable and relaxed despite the approaching soldiers and vicious dogs.  His sword still rested in its sheath on his hip and he appeared to be dozing of all things.

                At first Shesta wanted to know how the hell the other boy had gotten there before them, then he realized that he didn’t care.  What mattered were the weapons!  Just seeing them made him want to make a break for it, rush ahead from the group and grab his sword.  Common sense forced him to keep pace with his companions though.  Strength in numbers after all, and the dogs would easily cut him down before he got there.

                “Stick together.”  Miguel called out as they approached the ship.  “Keep Viole in the middle and get him against the ship’s hull.  Grab whatever sword is closest, we’ll sort out who belongs to which later!”  No one made comment about their captain lounging there without a care in the world. 

                The instant Shesta felt steel in his hands, he grinned widely, fully aware of how the tables had turned.  Taking a moment to ensure that Viole was going to be safe, he spun around to face his enemies.

                “We’ve got our fangs now puppies.”  He growled, taking a moment to throw his rock at the nearest cur, knowing that it would dodge.  As it moved, he swung his sword, catching the beast along the ribs and opening up a deep wound down the length of its side.  The dog yelped loudly, its voice joined by those of its fellows as the Dragonslayers went on the offensive.

                Armed and more than ready for revenge, the teenagers stayed close together, using their neighbours to protect their flanks as they advanced on the pack.  After such a long and drawn out run from hell, the final battle proved to be rather anticlimactic as the dogs were unable to stand against swords in the hands of trained soldiers.  Still, it was one of the most satisfying kills Shesta had ever experienced and when the huge brown beast fell with Guimel’s sword in its chest, the boys all let out a loud cheer of victory.

                Heaving a heavy sigh and turning around to make sure that Viole had made it through as unscathed as possible, Shesta was shocked to see the captain calmly tending to the boys foot as if a battle hadn’t taken place only a few feet away.  Viole’s foot was already bandaged neatly and he was holding a cold pack, looking just as shocked by the developments as his teammates.

                “Good work.”  Captain Albatou stated as he straightened up, motioning for Viole to try to put a little weight on the injured foot.  “You made the distance, armed yourselves and didn’t leave your teammate behind.”  A faint smile tugged at his lips but swiftly vanished before any of them could be positive they saw it.  “Most importantly, you stuck together.  We’re a team, our strength is in our unity.” 

As he spoke looked at each of them, quickly sizing up their injuries as well as their state of exhaustion.

“We’re a single unit like that dog pack.  We’re going to fight like a pack as well, using coordinated attacks to confuse and draw out our prey.  When we get back to the Vione, you’re going to shower, change and eat.  After that, you’ll be going over the tactics both you and the wolves used before implementing them in sparring until dinner.”

Shesta wasn’t the only one to just stand there dumbstruck at the statement.  Now that his body was realizing that the time for fight and flight was over, his legs were shaking badly and he could now feel each and every one of his strained muscles.  It had to be even worse for those who had bites and scratches.  To expect them to be able to spar after all of this was the height of sadism!

“How… how the hell did you get here that fast?”  Guimel stammered out, forgetting in his shock to address their leader properly.  It was an omission he quickly learned to regret a fist shot out, catching the curly haired blond across the jaw and sending him sprawling down onto the bloody ground.

Before any of them could even think of reacting, Captain Albatou had his sword drawn and the point resting on Guimel’s throat.  Those crimson eyes of his were hard as glacial ice and Shesta had no doubt that he would kill the foolish Dragonslayer in an instant if he made the wrong move.

“You will address me with proper respect at all times, is that clear?”  The albino hissed, those cruel eyes blazing and lovely face twisted into a fierce sneer.  Laying there on the ground too scared to move, Guimel squeaked out an assent.

“Yes sir Captain Albatou sir.”  He managed, swallowing nervously and doing his best to ignore how the point of the sword pricked at his throat.

“And for your information, I ran just the same as you all did.  Don’t think for a moment that I’m giving you any task that I’m not fully capable of doing myself.”  Those eyes fixed on every single one of them, daring them to step out of line.  “I expect that the next time we do this exercise, you’ll make it to the ship in half the time and less injured.  I also expect far less complaints or questioning of my sanity.  By the way Guimel, you’re on bathroom detail for the week.  Don’t ever doubt my sanity or my reasoning.  I’m in command because I’m the best, and so long as you follow me, I will shape you into the best as well.  If you don’t think you can handle that, tell me now and I’ll have you reassigned.” 

No one spoke up; they were too busy staring at their leader with their mouths agape.  He’d beaten them to the ship?  He wasn’t even winded or sweaty!  No one dared question his statement however since he’d clearly been close enough to have heard Guimel’s insulting comments.  Mostly, Shesta was impressed with the fact that the starving vicious dogs had chosen to leave the lone captain the hell alone and go after the group of six healthy soldiers.  Clearly the animals had known something they didn’t.

“Get on board, we’ll patch you all up and don’t you dare sheathe those blades until their clean.”  The pale youth motioned for them to board the ship, leaving the bodies of the dogs where they fell.  “And enjoy your jerky.”

**Author's Note:**

> So, Dilandau is a sadistic asshole. I think that's been well established in the series. At least he is the sort to stride through hell alongside his men, daring anything to try to get in his way, so there is something redeeming under all that psychoticness.


End file.
